ご入学おめでとうございます。法政大学へようこそ。
この式典にはおよそ7,000人の新入生のうち、約半数の方々が参加しています。皆さんの中には、法政大学が第一志望だった方も多いと思います。目標に向かって努力し、志望する学部に挑戦し、今、ここにいます。一方で、法政大学が第一志望ではなかった方、あるいは第二志望でもなかった方もいるかもしれません。本当は別の大学に行きたかった、と思っている方もいるでしょう。それでも、皆さんは今、ここにいます。
法政大学が第一志望だったかどうかにかかわらず、私たちは今日ここにいる皆さんを、心から歓迎します。そして皆さんにお約束します。私たちは皆さんを支えます。充実した学び、国内外での多岐にわたる経験、人生に役立つスキルや視野を育むさまざまな活動の機会を提供します。
皆さんにぜひお願いしたいのは、ここにある機会と資源を、最大限に活かしてほしいということです。そのために、三つのことをお勧めします。
一つ目は、主体的に行動することです。日本語ではよく「挑戦」という言葉を使いますが、人によっては戦うイメージが強いと感じるかもしれません。英語の challenge という言葉も、もともとは戦うという意味に近い語源を持っています。世界ではいまも多くの戦争が起きています。私自身は、戦いのイメージで物事を考えることはあまり好きではありません。
私にとって「挑戦」とは、自分の慣れた環境から一歩踏み出してみることです。自分のペースで構いません。ほんの小さな一歩でいいのです。授業で手を挙げて質問してみる。あるいは答えてみる。今まで行ったことのない地域でインターンシップをしてみる。短期間でも海外でボランティアに参加してみる。キャンパスでイベントを企画してみる。外国語を学んでみる。
少しだけ殻を破ってみてください。少しだけ自分を前に押し出してみてください。そうすることで、自分でも知らなかった新しい自分に出会うかもしれません。そして、これまでとは違う新しい景色が見えてくるかもしれません。私自身も、いままさにそうした新しい景色を見ているところです。
二つ目は、深く、そして広く学ぶことです。大学に入ったのですから、ぜひしっかり勉強してください。もちろん、大学は、生涯の友人に出会い、サークル活動を楽しみ、さまざまな経験をする場所でもあります。最近では、「大学に行かなくても成功できる」「大学の学位がなくてもお金を稼げる」と語る若いリーダーの話を聞くこともあるかもしれません。確かにそういう場合もあるでしょう。
しかし私は、誰にとっても大学教育は大きな価値があると思っています。そして、はっきり言えることがあります。勉強することで、失うものは何もありません。しかし、得るものはたくさんあります。これは私自身の経験から言えることです。
法政大学には、三つのキャンパスに700名以上の専任教員がいます。さらに多くの兼任教員の先生方もいます。皆さんは、そうした知的資源にアクセスする切符を手に入れたのです。ぜひ先生方から多くのことを学んでください。専門分野について、研究について、そして人生の経験について。そこで得たものは、皆さんにとって一生の財産になるはずです。
三つ目は、批判的に考えることです。自分の頭で考え、判断する力を身につけてください。事実とそうでないものを見分ける力を育ててください。もちろん、フェイクニュースも含めてです。
すぐに簡単な答えを求めるのではなく、問いを持ってください。証拠を見てください。何が事実で、何がそうではないのかを見極める力を養ってください。議論をするときは、落ち着いて行いましょう。異なる意見にも耳を傾けてください。しかし同時に、自分自身の見解も持ってください。わからないときは質問してください。簡単な答えで満足しないでください。
少し大変そうに聞こえるでしょうか。こんなこと全部できるのでしょうか。できます。なぜなら、皆さんはルーキーだからです。
ルーキーであることには特権があります。新しいことに挑戦する権利があります。そして、失敗してもいいのです。間違えてもいいのです。困ったときには助けを求めていいのです。私も昨年度、ルーキーの特権を存分に味わいました。
法政大学は、皆さんが思い切り翼を広げ、自分の可能性を最大限に伸ばすことができる場所です。教授陣に加え、職員も皆さんを温かくサポートします。また、学部を超えた学びの機会や、日本各地や海外での学びや活動の機会があります。
さらに、法政大学は多様性、公平性、そして包摂性を大切にする大学として知られています。海外にルーツを持ち、日本の外で幼稚園から大学院まで教育を受けた女性である私が総長に選ばれたという事実が、それを物語っています。多様性、公平性、包摂性は本学の憲章「自由を生き抜く実践知」、そして創立以来の精神である「自由と進歩」にも通じるものです。
この式典では日本語が共通の言語ですが、皆さんの中には、日本語が第一言語ではない方もいるでしょう。私自身もその一人です。すべての皆さんの母語でお話しすることはできませんが、これまで話した内容の要点を、私が公の場で最も話しやすい言語である英語で、少しだけまとめてお話ししたいと思います。
Welcome to Hosei University. I understand that while for many of you Hosei University was your first choice, for some of you it was not. You also arrived here through different examination paths and experiences. And you may each have your own reasons for pursuing a university education.
But I would like to tell you that none of that matters now that you have become part of the Hosei community.
We pledge to support you. We will offer strong educational opportunities, a wide range of domestic and international experiences, and many kinds of activities through which you can develop valuable life skills and perspectives. Hosei University is a wonderful place. I can say this with confidence, having taught generations of motivated and talented students here for nearly thirty years.
To make the most of your time at Hosei University, and to build a foundation for life after graduation, I invite you to step out of your comfort zone and take a proactive approach to your university life. Study deeply and broadly. Learn eagerly from your professors and from one another. Be open-minded, but also think critically. Engage in discussion calmly, listen to different viewpoints, and form your own position. Ask questions when you do not understand. Do not settle for easy answers.
You can do all of this because you are rookies here. And rookie status comes with privileges. As rookies, you have the right to try new things. You are allowed to make mistakes, even to fail, and to ask for help whenever you need it. I was a rookie last year, and I can speak from experience.
Hosei University is a place where you can fully spread your wings and reach your full potential — if you seize the opportunities and make use of the support we offer.
Hosei University is also committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for everyone. The fact that someone like me — a woman with roots overseas who was educated from kindergarten through graduate school outside Japan — has been elected president clearly shows that Hosei University embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion, true to our Charter, Practical Wisdom for Freedom, and to our founding spirit of freedom and progress.
So plunge in and make the most of your years at Hosei University. A university education is not only about preparing for a career. It is also about discovering who you are, how you think, and how you will contribute to society.
改めて、法政大学へようこそ。これからの皆さんの大学生活が、実り多く、充実したものになることを心から願っています。
Congratulations on your admission, and welcome to Hosei University.
At this ceremony, about half of our approximately 7,000 new students are in attendance.
Many of you likely had Hosei as your first choice. You worked hard toward your goals and worked toward admission to your chosen faculty—and now you are here.
At the same time, some of you may not have had Hosei as your first—or even second—choice. Some of you may be wishing you were at a different university. But regardless, you are here now.
Whether Hosei was your first choice or not, we warmly welcome you all.
And we promise to support you. We will provide enriching learning opportunities, a wide range of experiences both in Japan and abroad, and many opportunities to develop skills and broader perspectives that will serve you in life.
What I ask of you is this: make the most of the opportunities and resources available here.
To help you do that, let me offer three suggestions.
First, take initiative. In Japanese, we often use the word “challenge,” but the word itself can suggest a sense of struggle or confrontation. The English word challenge also has roots in the idea of combat.
Even today, conflicts and wars continue in many parts of the world. For that reason, I do not like to frame things in terms of struggle or combat.
For me, a “challenge” simply means stepping outside your comfort zone. Go at your own pace—even a small step will do. Try raising your hand and asking a question in class, or offering an answer. Try doing an internship somewhere new. Try volunteering abroad, even for a short time. Try organizing an event on campus. Try learning a new language.
Step just a little outside your comfort zone. By doing so, you may discover a side of yourself you didn’t know before. A new world may open up to you. I myself am experiencing that even now.
Second, learn both deeply and broadly. Now that you are at university, make the most of your studies.
Of course, university is also a place to meet lifelong friends, enjoy extracurricular activities, and gain a wide range of experiences.You may hear people say these days that you can succeed without going to university, or that you can do well financially without a degree. In some cases, that may be true.But I believe that a university education has great value for everyone. There is one thing I can say clearly: you lose nothing by studying, but you gain a great deal. This is something I know from my own experience.
Hosei University has more than 700 full-time faculty members across three campuses, along with many adjunct instructors. You now hold a ticket to access these intellectual resources.
Take full advantage of this opportunity. Learn from your professors—not only about their fields and research, but also from their life experiences. What you gain will become a lifelong asset.
Third, learn to think critically. Develop the ability to think for yourself and make your own judgments. Learn to distinguish fact from fiction—including misinformation and fake news. Do not rush to simple answers. Ask questions. Look at the evidence. Take the time to consider what is true and what is not.
When you engage in discussion, do so calmly. Listen to different perspectives. At the same time, form your own views. If you don’t understand something, ask questions. Do not be satisfied with easy answers.
This may sound like a lot. You may wonder whether you can really do all of this.
You can—because you are rookies.
Being a rookie comes with privileges. You have the right to try new things. You are allowed to make mistakes—even to fail. And you can ask for help whenever you need it. I myself experienced those privileges fully just last year.
Hosei University is a place where you can fully spread your wings and grow into your potential. You will find not only dedicated faculty, but also supportive staff. In addition, there are opportunities to learn across disciplines, as well as to study and engage in activities throughout Japan and overseas.
Hosei University is also known for its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The fact that someone like me—a woman with roots overseas who was educated outside Japan from kindergarten through graduate school—has been elected president speaks to that commitment.
These values are also reflected in our university charter, Practical Wisdom for Freedom, and in our founding spirit of freedom and progress.
Although Japanese is the common language at this ceremony, some of you may not be native speakers. I am one of you. While I cannot speak in everyone’s native language, I would now like to briefly summarize these points in English.
Welcome to Hosei University. I understand that while for many of you Hosei University was your first choice, for some of you it was not. You also arrived here through different examination paths and experiences. And you may each have your own reasons for pursuing a university education.
But I would like to tell you that none of that matters now that you have become part of the Hosei community.
We pledge to support you. We will offer strong educational opportunities, a wide range of domestic and international experiences, and many kinds of activities through which you can develop valuable life skills and perspectives. Hosei University is a wonderful place. I can say this with confidence, having taught generations of motivated and talented students here for nearly thirty years.
To make the most of your time at Hosei University, and to build a foundation for life after graduation, I invite you to step out of your comfort zone and take a proactive approach to your university life. Study deeply and broadly. Learn eagerly from your professors and from one another. Be open-minded, but also think critically. Engage in discussion calmly, listen to different viewpoints, and form your own position. Ask questions when you do not understand. Do not settle for easy answers.
You can do all of this because you are rookies here. And rookie status comes with privileges. As rookies, you have the right to try new things. You are allowed to make mistakes, even to fail, and to ask for help whenever you need it. I was a rookie last year, and I can speak from experience.
Hosei University is a place where you can fully spread your wings and reach your full potential — if you seize the opportunities and make use of the support we offer.
Hosei University is also committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for everyone. The fact that someone like me — a woman with roots overseas who was educated from kindergarten through graduate school outside Japan — has been elected president clearly shows that Hosei University embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion, true to our Charter, Practical Wisdom for Freedom, and to our founding spirit of freedom and progress.
So plunge in and make the most of your years at Hosei University. A university education is not only about preparing for a career. It is also about discovering who you are, how you think, and how you will contribute to society.
Let me once again say: welcome to Hosei University. I sincerely hope that your years here will be rich, fulfilling, and rewarding.
